Dec 22, 2025 04:30 PM
https://www.sciencenorway.no/aging-overw...er/2593699
INTRO: More and more serious research is being done on what is called biological age. Biological age means that we can now measure how old our bodies are. You may be 45 years old. But your biological age may be 40 – or 50.
The message from some researchers is that people in a number of countries are now ageing faster than ever. “Biological age is often a better measure of remaining lifespan or risk of age-related diseases than chronological age,” says Geir Selbæk, head of research at the Norwegian National Centre for Ageing and Health.
Diseases that previously mainly affected older people – such as cancer, heart attacks, and type 2 diabetes – are now affecting people at a younger age than before, according to researchers at Yale University.
The researchers know why this is happening. And they see that it is possible to slow this trend. But first, a little about how researchers can measure biological age. There are now many private companies that offer to tell you your biological age.
When serious researchers want to study biological age, it most often involves analysing chemical changes in our DNA. These changes are popularly called epigenetic clocks.
These clocks are not entirely accurate, researcher Antonello Lorenzini warns in an interview with New Scientist. But they are good enough to see who is ageing faster or slower than others.
For most of us, biological age and chronological age – that is, your age on paper – are more or less the same. But quite a few of us have a biological age that is several years ahead or behind. Biological age can both increase and decrease, depending on our lifestyles.
Several research groups have now shown that much of the reason for this relates to obesity... (MORE - details)
INTRO: More and more serious research is being done on what is called biological age. Biological age means that we can now measure how old our bodies are. You may be 45 years old. But your biological age may be 40 – or 50.
The message from some researchers is that people in a number of countries are now ageing faster than ever. “Biological age is often a better measure of remaining lifespan or risk of age-related diseases than chronological age,” says Geir Selbæk, head of research at the Norwegian National Centre for Ageing and Health.
Diseases that previously mainly affected older people – such as cancer, heart attacks, and type 2 diabetes – are now affecting people at a younger age than before, according to researchers at Yale University.
The researchers know why this is happening. And they see that it is possible to slow this trend. But first, a little about how researchers can measure biological age. There are now many private companies that offer to tell you your biological age.
When serious researchers want to study biological age, it most often involves analysing chemical changes in our DNA. These changes are popularly called epigenetic clocks.
These clocks are not entirely accurate, researcher Antonello Lorenzini warns in an interview with New Scientist. But they are good enough to see who is ageing faster or slower than others.
For most of us, biological age and chronological age – that is, your age on paper – are more or less the same. But quite a few of us have a biological age that is several years ahead or behind. Biological age can both increase and decrease, depending on our lifestyles.
Several research groups have now shown that much of the reason for this relates to obesity... (MORE - details)